U.S. soybean sector refutes attacks on seed oil

SASKATOON — The U.S. soybean sector is attempting to fend off mounting attacks on seed oils.

Sara Wyant, publisher of Agri-Pulse Communications, said seed oils have become a pariah on social media due to comments from influencers and the leader of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. secretary of health and human services, wants people to consume fewer seed oils and more beef tallow, and he has the support of powerful influencers such as Joe Rogan.

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“When we read about this stuf,f it’s a head-scratcher,” Wyant said during a recent webinar on the subject hosted by Agri-Pulse.

Why it Matters: Social media can have a big impact on consumer behaviour.

Decades of research touting the health benefits of consuming seed oils is being discounted and ignored.

“Even the American Heart Association has written about the benefits of seed oils and noted there are many reasons to consume them,” she said.

However, these days the oils made from corn, soybeans, rice bran, grapeseed, canola, cottonseed, sunflower and safflower are known as the “hateful eight.”

Seed oils are predominately polyunsaturated fats, such as omega-6 and omega-3 fats.

RFK Jr. and his allies say they would rather have consumers go back to eating saturated fats found in animal products such as butter, cheese and red meat.

Julie Ohmen, chief executive officer of the Soy Nutrition Institute Global, said RFK Jr. appears to be ignoring the research.

She noted that soybean, canola, corn and olive oil have all received qualified health claims from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stating they may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

“Nevertheless, we continue to hear the rhetoric over social media saying that they are not healthy for us,” she said.

Ohmen said influencers tend to be high on confidence and low on nuance.

One of the main claims from the anti-seed oil lobby is that increased consumption of the product is correlated with the rise in several chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

However, correlation is not causation.

“We can’t just say because two things occurred together that one causes the other,” said Ohmen.

“Ice cream (consumption) and shark attacks do move together, probably because of the season and not causation.”

In fact, research shows the intake of the main fatty acid in seed oils improves glucose control and increases insulin sensitivity.

Early results of a new study shows soybean oil consumption reduces liver fat for people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Another claim is that seed oils are high in omega-6 fats, which increase inflammation and oxidative stress.

That finding stems from an outdated and since disproven 2008 study. Hundreds of human trials conducted over the past 17 years have demonstrated that is not true.

The third major claim is that the processing involved in producing seed oils creates harmful compounds. However, that too has been refuted by updated scientific information.

Hexane is the solvent used to extract seed oils. Research shows it evaporates upon heating.

Safety analysis shows that to meet the lowest daily hexane exposure limit, people would have to consume 4,900 grams of oil per day.

“That’s equivalent to over a gallon of salad dressing daily,” said Ohmen.

The average intake of seed oils is 31 grams per day.

Carson Fort, government affairs manager with the American Soybean Association, said the economic impact of removing seed oils from the American supply chain would be steep.

A study sponsored by the ASA shows that a 58-pound per-capita loss of seed oils would primarily be filled by a 53-lb. per-capita increase in consumption of imported palm oil, assuming U.S. fat and oil consumption remains constant.

That would result in a US$7.7 billion per year increase in consumer expenditures on vegetable oils and fats, which would be a 43 per cent increase.

Ohmen said it is difficult for consumers to figure out what information to believe. A good rule of thumb is that all-or-nothing statements are a good indication that things are being sensationalized.

She encouraged people to look for links to peer-reviewed publications and focus on studies with human clinical data rather than trials involving mice.

She noted that organizations such as the American Heart Association, World Health Organization and universities are still widely trusted by consumers and they are onboard with the health benefits of seed oils.

Ohmen said it is up to organizations like hers to be more active in trying to influence the social media influencers.

“Five years ago, we didn’t think it was important to be on social media because we’re a science organization, but we’re realizing that’s where the game is being played now,” she said.